One of my favorite sports (yes, I consider shopping a competitive sport) is waiting out a sale. You know, finding something on the clearance rack and then waiting until it is marked down a little more, then a little more, until it hits that magic price you want to pay.

Maybe it's 20 bucks, maybe it's 75% off, whatever the magic number that is in your head... and if you score it for that magic number price... you, my friend- are a winner.

If you are decorating your house on a shoestring budget it will help you tremendously to get good at "the game". I love to play "the game" at Hobby Lobby. Every 2 months or so they mark a huge group of accessories down to 66% off. This is the time to get the item that you do not want to miss and are willing to pay a little more for, because it will sell if you don't. A few weeks later they mark down again to 80% off, this is when I do most of my shopping.

Finally, they end up marking down to 90% off. I have never hit this sale at the right time, whenever I come across it the 90% off area is a small rack of cowboy boot shaped book-ends (most of them chipped or broken) or something equally hideous. (no offense to cowboy boots)

This time I happened across Hobby Lobby the day they started the 90% off sale... SUHWEET!! They had a huge selection of non-cowboy-boot-shaped good stuff!

But I had my eye on something already... my game piece was a picture frame. Umm... yes, a picture frame.

I know what you're thinking... a picture frame? You can get a pretty decent picture frame at the dollar store.

But trust me, it's a really awesome custom picture frame. It is a large (16 x 20), beautiful, thick, expensive looking wood frame that came from their framing department, a cancelled order most likely. And I already have the perfect picture for it...

Anywho, the original price was $225! (For an empty frame?!) Don't get me wrong, it's a really nice frame but not worth $225 in my chic on a shoestring opinion.

It was marked 80% off, down to $45 when I found it. I'm too cheap frugal for that much... so the game begins.

I waited and waited and waited. The stuff is 80% off for several weeks, each time I went back it was still there but still hadn't hit my "magic number" price of 90% off.

Finally, I walked in to the 90% off sale and literally squeeled with joy. I headed to the frames to score my deal and it was gone! GONE!

Oh man... I let the game get me this time. Game 1, Kate 0

Dang it!

I'm a sore loser... I started questioning my game strategy, maybe I should have bought it at 80% off, I really wanted it more than I thought I did!

Nah. $45 was too much for an empty frame.

I put my game face back on and happily went through and picked up a few things 90% off.

In the check out lane I was lamenting to the cashier that I didn't get my frame... woe is me. She was wrapping all my breakables so as I was waiting I started checking out the furniture shelves around me.

Suddenly the clouds parted and a ray of sun from the heavens shined down directly on my frame!! There it was across the room... it was leaning on a piece of furniture on a shelf near the door. The cashier said that is where they stick stuff that people bring to the register but end up not buying it. Whew... that was close!

I got my frame and won the game!! And to make me the super grand champion...the frame rang up for even cheaper than I expected... $13.00! 95% off!!! Woot Woot!!!!